He's the sole reason we didn't win two Champions Leagues under Klopp. Literally the only reason.

Congrats guys. That was fun to watch.

Again, we play well when teams don't launch grenades down the field or long throw-ins. Crazy.

Didn't see a lick yet, but great win! Sounds like we were the better team by a bit too.

2.58xg to 0.45xg. At one point in the first half Wirtz had created more chances than Madrid as a whole.

Wirtz playing off the left today was an absolute win in my book. Defensively he provides more bite and punch in the press, and can cover more ground, especially in the final third. He was a dog on a bone trying to get the ball off guys in the oppositions final and created chances turning guys over. He along with Szbo and Salah were DYNAMITE.

Offensively he let Robo and Maca provide the width and was absolutely everywhere. I have nothing against Gakpo, but we were just different in attack tonight and I think a huge part of it was Wirtz playing in front of a midfield three of Maca, Szbo and Gravvy.

I hope Slot noticed this tonight and goes with the same setup vs City

Wasn't able to watch live, but made my way through some highlights today. Courtois continues to be an unbelievable GK. Like another poster said, he single-handedly won RM a CL title that should have been Klopp's and Liverpool's in Paris. Szoboszlai is the engine of this team. How he goes, we go. Wirtz was a beast, as was Ekitike and Macca. I agree with most that Bradley was the MOTM and an absolute menace. Kept Vini quiet all night. I think the fact the Kop cheered for every action he took helped, trying to show TAA that we back our new RB.

Speaking of, I am so glad TAA got the reception he got. I am still in the camp that he handled himself poorly throughout the transfer saga and will now be viewed in the same lens as Michael Owen.

I expect a similar line-up/formation/tactic on Sunday as City won't play the long ball game.

Yeah, he should have expected to get booed. Part of being a professional athlete and I didn't see or hear anything that led me to believe he suffered any sort of abuse past the boos. I'm sure some of that will mellow out as time goes by, but the first trip back after leaving a club? You're going to get booed. He'll be fine.

Will be very interesting to see what City tries to do and does tactically on Sunday. They have really been the Erling Haaland show this year by basically playing long through balls for him to either run onto or hold up by himself. He was the only guy on their team with more than one goal so far this season until yesterday. Phil Foden is starting to come around again, and they've begun to use Cherki as well.

I could make the argument that we are catching them at at good time because maybe they will want to try and play more traditional Man City ball instead of launching balls to Haaland, which I think we would struggle with.

In his post match interview Slot talked about the difference in how they setup vs RM compared to previous games. He said they were specifically focused on shutting down Vini and Mbappe, so gave strick instructions to either press high or fall deep, no in-between. In my opinion, this is the philosophy we must adopt for every team this year. We are not really good at counter pressing right now, so if we lose the ball the midfielders and fullbacks must retreat and establish a defensive shape. There are no easy games anymore, every team has pace on their front lines these days. Holding our midfielders high after losing possession is a death sentence vs any team right now. If we treat everyone like Madrid, our season will turn around very quickly.

I couldn't agree more. I don't think we have quite the quick twitch athletes anymore, especially in midfield, to counter-press like that style requires. Go no further than PSG. Essentially their entire midfield and front line (plus their wingbacks) have elite pace and quickness to win the ball back as soon as it's lost.

This team needs to either press high and keep teams from launching balls down the field against us or just retreat to a shape so we can handle pressure. And to that end I thought Wirtz on the left really added a lot. Between he, Dom, Ekitike/Isak and Salah, they should be able to press teams enough to make it an issue for the opposition.

Sunderland are so stupid. Trying to play out of the back. Idiots.

Not so fast my friend...

Wow. Thats a miracle. Arsenal dominated the second half and Sunderland gifted them the second goal. Huge.

If y'all haven't seen it yet you need to go see perhaps the play of the year by Luis Diaz yesterday. Keeps the ball in by sliding on the end line, then goes by his man and puts the ball top corner from almost an impossible angle.

I understand from an age and pay perspective why you might want to move on from him, but from a talent perspective this season we got infinitely worse. Not even close.

Same 11 as this week!

Basically getting man marked in midfield right now.

Is this is given as a pen the game is beyond gone.

Yeah that's awful.

We've been saying for a while how big a deal losing Lucho was for various reasons.


What a save but just getting completely smoked so far.

Ball doesn't lie gentlemen.

Again we're basically getting man marked across the front. Slot better figure it out quick. There's no out.

Feels like we are playing against 13 men. Can't get the ball and when we do we lose it immediately. Don't think we have even had it but once on their half

Get the ball in their half and sprint back to our goalie …unreal

A little better in possession, but we're set up so poorly at the moment.

Hate seeing Salahs fall off. Was inevitable at his age but he he has completely lost a step or more. Immediately run down or smothered.

Ekitike has absolutely zero hold up ability for a big guy.

We are just getting bullied and owned in every which way.

This games over

Yeah, it just MC naming the score

I don't understand how a coach can put every foot right one year and then turn around and put every foot wrong.

We don't even belong on the pitch right now with MC

And it's not that we had bad players…we literally just smoked Madrid and Villa. This is a coach issue.